Rebounding device for half-court shuffleboard



- Oct. 1, 1968 T. E. HORST 3,403,911 v REBOUNDING DEM/ ICE FOR HALF'COURT SHUFFLEBOARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 25, 1965 INVENTOR. ZZILLMO/V 5. H0257 WM," P 2351,

flTTOE/VE Y Oct. 1, 1968 T. E. HORST 3,403,911

REBOUNDING DEVICE FOR HALF-COURT SHUFFLEBOARD Filed Sept. 23, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 7T4LLM0N .5. H025 T flTTOE/VEY United States Patent 3,403,911 REBOUNDING DEVICE FOR HALF-COURT SHUFFLEBOARD Tallmon E. Horst, PO. Box 111, Palo Alto, Calif. 94302 Filed Sept. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 489,596 1 Claim. (Cl. 273126) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A half-court shuffleboard in which the two scoring areas are arranged almost side by side and a rebounding device for the slidable wooden discs is placed a predetermined distance from these areas and on a median line that extends midway between both of them. A player propels a wooden disc from one scoring area toward the rebounding device so that the disc will strike the latter and rebound in a direction toward the other scoring area.

The standard game of shufiieboard requires an area about fifty feet in length in Which to play. The game could be played in a good many additional localities if some way were found that would shorten the required length of playing area and still permit a standard game to be played.

An object of my invention is to provide a standard shuffleboard game that can be played in an area about one-half the length required for the standard game. I place the scoring areas almost side by side and then mount a rebounding device for the playing discs about one-half the standard distance from the two scoring areas. A player uses a cue, called a shovel, and propels a wooden disc from his scoring area and directs it toward the rebounding device. This device will reflect the disc toward the other scoring area. The aim and force required by the player is substantially the same as when the two scoring areas are placed at opposite ends of a standard playing area.

A further advantage of arranging the scoring areas side by side lies in the fact that the opponents in the game are placed near each other and this permits them to examine the position of the playing discs on the scoring area without the necessity of walking the full length of the game area as when the scoring diagrams are placed at opposite ends of a standard game. The game is simple in construction and the rebounding device for the playing discs can be made in different forms.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification continues. The novel features of the invention will be set forth in the appended claims.

DRAWINGS For a better understanding of my invention reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the half-court shuflleboard and shows the playing disc rebounding device in its relation to the two scoring areas.

FIGURE 2 is an enlargement of the dot-dash line circled area 2 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a modified form of the rebounding device for the playing discs.

FIGURE 4 is a front elevation of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an enlargement of the dot-dash circled area 5 of FIGURE 3, and a portion of the supporting block.

While I have shown only the preferred forms of my invention, it should be understood that various changes, or modifications, may be made within the scope of the annexed claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION In carrying out my invention I provide a playing surface on which are enscribed two scoring areas indicated generally at A and B. Both scoring areas are identical to each other and are similar to the size and shape of scoring areas used in standard shufiieboard games where these areas are disposed at opposite ends of the playing field and point toward one another. I will describe the diagram for the scoring area A and it will suffice for both. The reference numerals on the scoring area B will be the same as those on the scoring area A except that they will be primed.

The scoring area A is triangular in shape and it has a triangular space 11 at its apex with the number 10 placed in it. Right in back of the space 11 are two spaces 12 and 13 and the number 8 appears in each of these spaces. Directly in back of the row containing the spaces 12 and 13 is a third row containing spaces 14 and 15 and each of these bears the number 7. The spaces 12 and 13 are larger than the space 11 and the spaces 14 and 15 are larger than the spaces 12 and 13.

Directly in back of the row containing the spaces 14 and 15, there is a single transverse space 16 with the number 10 thereon. If the playing disc should come to rest on this space, then a 10 is subtracted from the total of the game. I show the triangular area A with a dot-dash center line 17 and the triangular area B has a dot-dash center line 18. The two scoring areas A and B are spaced a slight distance apart from a common center line 19.

If the game being played is the regulation size of thirty feet between the two scoring areas A and B, then the rebounding device for the playing disc would be placed approximately fifteen feet away from the apexes 20 and 21 of the scoring areas A and B respectively. The rebounding device indicated generally at C, is secured to the playing surface in any manner desired. I have shown a board 22 secured to the playing surface by cap screws 23 or other suitable fastening means. An arcuate metal or wooden member 24 has its mid-portion attached to the board 22 by a cap screw 23a and the ends of the arcuate member are formed into ring portions 25 and 26.

A metal strip D is passed along the back of the arcuate member 24 and is stretched across the space between the ring-shaped portions 25 and 26, see FIGURES 1 and 2. The enlargement shown in FIGURE 2 illustrates the strip D as having one end 27 bent back upon itself and provided with an opening through which the shank of a threaded bolt E is passed. The other end of the strip D is bent back upon itself as at 28 and is also provided with aligned openings for receiving the bolt shank 29. The head 30 of the bolt bears against the end 28 of the metal strip and a nut 31 is threaded upon the shank 29 and bears against the opposite end 27 of the metal strip. It is possible to tighten the nut 31 on the shank 29 for stretching the metal strip D so that the portion 32 extending between the ring-shaped ends 25 and 26 is pulled taut. This portion of the metal strip will act as a rebounding surface for the playing discs F, one being shown in dash lines rebounding from the flexed portion 32 of the metal strip D in FIGURE 1.

The dot-dash center or median lines 17 and 18 shown inFIGURE 1 can be extended beyond the apexes 20 and 21 of the scoring areas A and B and will intersect at a point 33 and this point will lie substantially midway between the ring-shaped portions 25 and 26 and will coincide with the portion 32 of the metal strip D. The dotdash lines 17 and 18 form an acute angle 34.

It is possible to arrange the scoring areas A and B adjacent to each other with the dot-dash median lines 17 and 18 parallel to each other. However the better arrangement is as shown in FIGURE 1 where the median lines 17 and 18 intersect each other at a point on the portion 32 of the metal strip D. The strip D can be made of any material desired that is flexible and resilient.

OPERATION In FIGURE 1, a player is indicated at G and this player has a cue H that is frequently termed a shovel. The cue H is provided with an elongated handle 35 and the handle carries a crescent-shaped head 36 at its forward end.

The player places one of the discs F in or behind the single space area 16 and then propels the disc forwardly along the dash line 37 toward the center of the resilient strip portion 32. The player uses sufficient force to cause the disc F to rebound from the strip portion 32 and move along a second dash line 38 toward the other scoring area B. The player either purposely or accidentally has propelled the disc F so that it comes to rest in the space 15' in the scoring area B. FIGURE 1 shows the strip portion 32 being flexed as indicated by the dash lines at the moment of impact between the disc and the strip portion. If the players opponent is not successful in dislodging the disc F from the space 15, then the player will be credited with seven points for the shot.

The strip portion 32 is preferably marked at its center as indicated at 33 and is also provided with two additional marks 39 and 40 that are spaced equal distances on opposite sides of the center mark 33. These side marks 39 and 40 indicate to the player G that he should aim the disc F to strike the strip portion 32 between these two marks. If the disc F should strike the strip portion 32 to the left of the mark 39, then the disc will rebound along a line that will not cross over any portion of the scoring area B. The same is true with the disc P, if it should strike the disc portion 32 to the right of the side mark 40. In this event the rebounding disc would move to the right of the scoring area B when facing the rebounding device C.

The total distance between the scoring area A and the strip D plus the distance from the strip to the scoring area B equals the regulation distance of twenty to thirty feet that lies between the two scoring areas when they are aligned with each other and the apexes 2t) and 21 face each other. It will be seen that by providing the rebounding device C, the length of the playing surface is cut in half and the game does not require much additional width.

The two scoring areas A and B are placed just a few feet apart from each other. With this arrangement the game can be played indoors. Where the normal length of playing area is twenty to thirty feet, the required playing surface would be longer than that could be readily provided in a home. A game that requires only about a twenty foot length, a playing surface could be set up in the rumpus room of a home or in a cemented area of the yard where the total length would be slightly more than fifteen feet rather than the usual length of fifty feet.

I show a slightly modified form of rebounding device I in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5. This form of rebounding device can be made for less expense than that shown at D in FIGURES 1 and 2. A block is indicated at 50 in FIG URES 3 and 4. This block is secured to the playing surface at the desired position by cap screws 51 or other suitable fastening means. The block has an arcuate recess 52 in its front wall 53, see FIGURES 3 and 5, and the recess has an arcuate groove 54 that extends along the center of the arcuate recess 52 from end to end.

A resilient member 55 has its mid-portion received in the groove 54. A removable piece 56 has an arcuate edge 57 that complements the arcuate recess 52. The removable piece 56 is secured in place by screws 58 that extend through the removable piece 56 and above the resilient member 55 and into the block 50.

It will be seen from this construction that the securing of the removable piece 56 to the block 50 will cause the resilent member 55 to be formed into an arc. The ends 59 and 60 of the resilent member 55 will project to the sides and in front of the block 50. A chain 61 or other 4 suitable flexible and resilient member has its ends secured to the ends 59 and 60 so that the tendency of the arcuate member 55 to straighten out will place the chain under tension.

FIGURE 5 shows an enlarged detail of a portion of the resilient member 55 and the chain 61. A hook 62 receives the end link 61a. A greater tension can be placed on the chain if the next link to the end one is attached to the hook 62. The operation of the rebounding device I will be the same as that of the rebounding device D and no further description need be given of this form.

The half-court shuflieboard demands more skill to play than does the standard shufileboard game because the discs F must be bounced off the member D or chain 61. A basement area measuring eighteen by twenty-five feet is of sufficient size to accommodate the half-court shuffieboard game. The playing surface should be hard and free of bumps. The use of cement, wood or asphalt tile would make a good playing surface.

The function of the bouncers D or J is to field the discs F that strike it and propel them toward the opposite scoring area A or B. The scoring areas may be made smaller to offer a further challenge because the player must esti mate the bounce and shooting speed.

The arcuate member 24 in FIGURES 1 and 2 could be a leaf spring that has a permanent arc formed therein. The flexible strip D could be a flexible metal tape stretched across the ends of the arcuate member and then extended along the back of the member with its ends adjustably secured together by the bolt E. The arcuate member 24 can be secured to the block or base 22 by the cap screw 23a that is passed through a central opening in the member and is threaded into the base.

The outer surface of the strip portion 32 faces the player and the center mark 33 on it can be made with white enamel. The side markings 39 and 40, can be made red in color and may be spaced about eight inches on both sides from the center mark to define the limits of the effective bounce area.

Again returning to the modified form illustrated in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, the resilient member 55 can be made from a tempered spring steel rod which is about four feet long and has a diameter of five-sixteenths of an inch although I do not wish to be confined to any exact measurement. A lug 63 is placed at the center of the resilent member 55, see FIGURE 3, and is received in a pocket 64 provided in the block 50 and facing toward the arcuate recess 52. The lug 63 could be formed from a one-half inch length of the spring steel rod from which the resilient member 55 is cut. The lug prevents any longitudinal movement of the member 55 with respect to the block 50.

The chain 61 may be three to five feet long. The arcuate edge 57 in the removable piece 56, may be widened as shown by the dotted line 65, in FIGURE 5, to permit tension adjustment of the resilient member 55. Spare links, not shown, are connected to the end link 6111 of the chain 61 and these are used for connecting the desired one to the hook 62 for placing the resilient member 55 under the desired tension. Two center links 66, see FIGURE 3, in the chain 61 may be enameled white as a target for the best rebound. These white links in the chain would correspond to the center marking 33 on the metal strip D in FIGURE 1. Two other links 67 and 68' that are spaced equal distances on each side of the center links 66, are enameled red in order to locate outer target limits. These red links correspond to the side markings 39 and 40 on the metal strip D, shown in FIGURE 1.

The four bolts 51 and 58, shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, are preferably lag bolts. All metal parts in the device should be cadmium plated.

I claim:

1. In a game of the type described;

(a) a base adapted to be secured to a supporting surface and having an arcuate recess in one edge with a median groove extending along the arcuate recess;

(b) an arcuate member having its central portion received in said groove so that the ends of said member extend beyond said base;

(0) a clamping piece having an arcuate edge adapted to fit the edge of the arcuate recess in said base; ((1) means for securing the clamping piece to said base for connecting the arcuate member to the base; and

(e) a chain having its ends secured to the ends of said arcuate member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 RICHARD c. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

T. ZACK, Assistant Examiner. 

